Drones 2014 NAB Show - H 2014
Carolyn GiardinaThe National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences on Tuesday revealed the recipients of the 69th annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards, including several Hollywood drone companies, which are being honored for their contributions to the technical aspects of using drones for cinematography. Additionally, two respected broadcast technology veterans, CBS’ Robert Ross and Fox’s Richard Friedel, will receive lifetime achievement awards.
The honorees for the technical work in drone cinematography (specifically, low latency remote controlled airborne video platforms for TV) are John McGraw, PictorVision, Aerial MOB, Astraeus Aerial, Flying Cam, Vortex Aerial, Helivideo Productions, Snaproll Media and DJI.
Technical & Engineering Achievement Awards will also be awarded to Comcast, Universal Electronics, Apple TV and Nuance Dragon TV, for contextual voice navigation for discovering and interacting with TV content; Bluebell and British Telecom, for supporting digital video using SDI over fiber-optics; Avid and EditShare’s Heavyworks, for computerized hard-disk storage based digital nonlinear, multi-stream multi-camera systems; MultiDyne, for a portable, battery powered audio/video test signal generator; and Microsoft’s Skype for development of an integrated consumer video conferencing service into broadcast production environments.
Also being honored with Emmy Awards are Audible Magic, Civolution, INA, Friend MTS, Vobile and YouTube, for video ID technology to protect content; CBS and The Gerstenslager Co., for expanding-side TV production mobile units; and TrackMan, MLB Advanced Media and ChyronHego, for 3D Doppler Radar systems to track and display fast-moving pitched and hit balls.
Lifetime achievement award recipient Ross has served as senior vp, East Coast operations for CBS Broadcasting, since October 1998. During this time, he has overseen accomplishments including conversion of CBS’ broadcast center to HD, conversion from videotape to digital distribution for both domestic and international syndication and restoration of the Ed Sullivan Theater for The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. He is past chair of the toolkit working group of the media security and reliability council, an FCC advisory committee; and he has contributed to standards efforts of the Advanced Television Systems Committee and Society of Motion Picture and TV Engineers.
Friedel serves as executive vp and general manager, Fox Networks Engineering & Operations. Prior to this role, he was a member of the team that launched Fox News Channel. Before joining Fox, Friedel served in various positions at Capital Cities/ABC and NBC News. Like Ross, he has served the community through various industry organizations; Friedel is currently ATSC board chairman and president of the Video Services Forum.
Through a partnership with the National Association of Broadcasters, this year’s awards will be presented April 8 during the annual NAB Show in Las Vegas.
